know?” Jorge asked.
“I think we’re good,” Celeste replied.
“Yes, we’re fine,” Connor agreed. “I have an idea and would like to visit Chip first tonight.”
“Perfect,” said Jorge. “I always knew you were a sharp one. Good luck.”
CHAPTER 8
Crime & passion
Sara sat alone in the shadows of her bedroom. She stared at the heart-shaped ring that Chip had given her, fear rising into her throat. She struggled to breathe. To Sara, this ring meant that someone really loved her. She had wanted this her whole life, but now that she had it, she was terrified. If she slipped up, if she allowed herself to become immersed in her visions of death again, it would be all over. She would lose the man she loved. Death would surely separate them.
A charcoal haze filled Sara’s mind now, along with that familiar sense of impending doom. She climbed into bed and slipped into a restless sleep. Fuzzy images formed in her head and soon came into focus. A stab like a knife cut through her heart. She then saw the details of Merek’s death, just like the many deaths she had seen before. Only this time, it was personal. She had lost the love of her life, and the grief was unbearable.
She saw the guards drag Merek through the cold, dark castle, its stone walls echoing drips of water from the leaking ceiling. She watched in horror as they threw him into a cellar and announced his sentence. “At the stroke of midnight, thou shall be put to death,” a plump man with a feathered hat declared.
“But I assure you I’ve done nothing wrong, sir,” Merek insisted. “All I’ve done is love her.”
“Silence!” the man ordered, as he motioned for the guards to beat and torture Merek. Heavy iron chains were whipped across his back until he collapsed into a bloody heap on the hard stone floor.
“ Thou has committed many crimes,” the man barked. “Trespassing on private property. Kidnapping the girl. Indecently exposing thyself on castle grounds. Stealing property from the king’s garden. And because of thee, a knight has fallen to his death. Dost thou think thee can escape thy sins?”
“Come now,” Merek said impatiently. “Thou hath misunderstood what happened. No crime was committed, sir. Quite the contrary, in fact. Lady Margaret and I are in love. I didn’t kidnap her. She came willingly to the castle grounds to rendezvous in private, so we could be alone. Yes, we had a romp or two under the apple tree, but we all have such urges. As far as the stealing, all I did was pick a flower for her. Tis not like I stole the king’s precious gold. And that man’s death was no fault of mine. His horse lost control. I’m quite certain I never laid a finger on him.”
“But he died while chasing thee. Thou tricked him by changing course, and his horse did not have time to react. Thou corrupted an innocent young girl. Damaged her with your manhood. And thou hath the nerve to claim innocence? Thou art a traitor, an enemy of the king.”
“I didn’t damage her. Just ask Lady Margaret. She wanted me just as much as I wanted her. We belong to each other. Hath thou been in love before?”
Sara spied Margaret standing outside the castle window, peering inside. “It’s true,” she cried. “I love him more than the earth and moon. He didn’t do anything wrong. We belong together. It’s our destiny. Please, sir, I beg you. Let him go.”
The clock struck midnight. “A crime is a crime,” the hefty man said. “And his is punishable by death. Now thee shall both pay for thy mistakes. Guards, please carry on.”
“NO!” Margaret cried. “Please. Have mercy.”
But the man with the feathered hat ignored her, and the guards sliced Merek’s throat like they were carving that night’s dinner.
Margaret screamed. Sara screamed, too. And they both fell to the floor in excruciating, heart-wrenching pain. The kind that could never be healed.
***
Sara dragged herself
“I think we’re good,” Celeste replied.
“Yes, we’re fine,” Connor agreed. “I have an idea and would like to visit Chip first tonight.”
“Perfect,” said Jorge. “I always knew you were a sharp one. Good luck.”
CHAPTER 8
Crime & passion
Sara sat alone in the shadows of her bedroom. She stared at the heart-shaped ring that Chip had given her, fear rising into her throat. She struggled to breathe. To Sara, this ring meant that someone really loved her. She had wanted this her whole life, but now that she had it, she was terrified. If she slipped up, if she allowed herself to become immersed in her visions of death again, it would be all over. She would lose the man she loved. Death would surely separate them.
A charcoal haze filled Sara’s mind now, along with that familiar sense of impending doom. She climbed into bed and slipped into a restless sleep. Fuzzy images formed in her head and soon came into focus. A stab like a knife cut through her heart. She then saw the details of Merek’s death, just like the many deaths she had seen before. Only this time, it was personal. She had lost the love of her life, and the grief was unbearable.
She saw the guards drag Merek through the cold, dark castle, its stone walls echoing drips of water from the leaking ceiling. She watched in horror as they threw him into a cellar and announced his sentence. “At the stroke of midnight, thou shall be put to death,” a plump man with a feathered hat declared.
“But I assure you I’ve done nothing wrong, sir,” Merek insisted. “All I’ve done is love her.”
“Silence!” the man ordered, as he motioned for the guards to beat and torture Merek. Heavy iron chains were whipped across his back until he collapsed into a bloody heap on the hard stone floor.
“ Thou has committed many crimes,” the man barked. “Trespassing on private property. Kidnapping the girl. Indecently exposing thyself on castle grounds. Stealing property from the king’s garden. And because of thee, a knight has fallen to his death. Dost thou think thee can escape thy sins?”
“Come now,” Merek said impatiently. “Thou hath misunderstood what happened. No crime was committed, sir. Quite the contrary, in fact. Lady Margaret and I are in love. I didn’t kidnap her. She came willingly to the castle grounds to rendezvous in private, so we could be alone. Yes, we had a romp or two under the apple tree, but we all have such urges. As far as the stealing, all I did was pick a flower for her. Tis not like I stole the king’s precious gold. And that man’s death was no fault of mine. His horse lost control. I’m quite certain I never laid a finger on him.”
“But he died while chasing thee. Thou tricked him by changing course, and his horse did not have time to react. Thou corrupted an innocent young girl. Damaged her with your manhood. And thou hath the nerve to claim innocence? Thou art a traitor, an enemy of the king.”
“I didn’t damage her. Just ask Lady Margaret. She wanted me just as much as I wanted her. We belong to each other. Hath thou been in love before?”
Sara spied Margaret standing outside the castle window, peering inside. “It’s true,” she cried. “I love him more than the earth and moon. He didn’t do anything wrong. We belong together. It’s our destiny. Please, sir, I beg you. Let him go.”
The clock struck midnight. “A crime is a crime,” the hefty man said. “And his is punishable by death. Now thee shall both pay for thy mistakes. Guards, please carry on.”
“NO!” Margaret cried. “Please. Have mercy.”
But the man with the feathered hat ignored her, and the guards sliced Merek’s throat like they were carving that night’s dinner.
Margaret screamed. Sara screamed, too. And they both fell to the floor in excruciating, heart-wrenching pain. The kind that could never be healed.
***
Sara dragged herself
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